Benson Mines, Inc., and its predecessor companies, have owned mineral and timber interests in Saint Lawrence County, New York, since 1883. 

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In 1941, with the outbreak of World War II, a 50 year lease was arranged with Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation. With federal government funding, a new iron ore mining, concentrating and agglomerating venture was established as part of the war effort. Iron sinter and concentrate shipments achieved a production rate of 1.1 million long tons per year, and the payroll totaled approximately 1,000 employees. J&L Steel operated the venture for roughly 35 years, until a severe recession in the world's iron and steel industry caused the operation to be shut down in 1978.

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With proven iron ore reserves equivalent to approximately 70 million tons of concentrates, sufficient to sustain production at the former rate for twice the 35 year period in which J&L Steel operated, Benson began focusing on other businesses to take advantage of its abundant resources. Today, Benson operates a rapidly growing construction aggregates business and manages a sustainable timber harvesting program on roughly half of its 3,500 acres.